Singapore election: no mass rallies but more media airtime for candidates

Singapore’s Elections Department has released fresh guidelines on campaigning, amid expectations that a general election could be weeks away

In light of the coronavirus pandemic, it will help facilitate ‘e-rallies’, but physical walkabouts are permitted if social distancing rules are observed

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The central business district in Singapore. The city state has released updated campaigning guidelines, as speculation mounts that a general election could be called within weeks. Photo: Reuters

Published: 2:31pm, 18 Jun 2020Updated: 3:14pm, 24 Jun 2020

Candidates taking part in Singapore’s upcoming general election will be banned from holding campaign rallies but will be granted unprecedented access to broadcast media, guidelines released on Thursday showed, amid expectations that the vote is now weeks away.

The fresh guidelines on campaigning follow a separate announcement last week on special measures that will be put in place to safeguard the health of the country’s 2.65 million voters if the polls are held imminently, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Elections Department, which falls under the purview of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, said in a statement on Thursday that it was releasing the campaigning guidelines “to give political parties and candidates time to plan their campaigning activities”.

It said the guidelines were based on prevailing public health guidelines. Singapore is set to further ease movement control measures on Friday to allow people to gather in groups of five.

A man walks past the Elections Department centre in Singapore. Photo: AFP

As predicted by political analysts, the Elections Department said the police will not grant permits for mass gatherings such as rallies and a pre-results gathering on polling day.